Bracelet with attached pillbox



Nov. 17, 1964 D. MURPHY 3,157,326

BRACELET WITH ATTACHED PILLBOX Filed July 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. Fig. 2

Dos/e Murphy lN VEN TOR.

BY 2mm WWW Em 1964 D. MURPHY 3,157,326

BRACELET WITH ATTACHED PILLBOX Filed July 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 7

Dos/e Murphy 1 N VEN TOR.

Mm BY ymwy Z? M510 United States Patent Ofifice EJ514326 Patented Nov, 17, 1964 3,157,326 BRACELET WITH ATTACHED PHLBQX Basie Murphy, 633 16th St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed July 5, I961, Ser. No. 121,860 4- Clairns. (El. Hi -28) The present invention generally relates to an article of jewelry or the like which is constructed in such a manner that additional utility is given to the article of jewelry such as by incorporating a container or pillbox therein so that the articles disposed in the container or pillbox will be readily accessible for use by the individual desiring such article.

As is well known, persons having certain conditions require medication, pills or the like at predetermined intervals or when certain symptoms appear in order to alleviate the condition. In order to accomplish this, pillboxes and the like are provided which must be carried in a pocket, pocketbook or the like. Loose pillboxes of this nature quite often become lost, forgotten or otherwise hard to locate thus rendering them rather ineffective for the purposes intended. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry such as a bracelet, wristwatch or the like having a pillbox incorporated therein whereby the pillbox will be maintained in position for ready accessibility by the wearer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bracelet or similar device with a pillbox which is simple in construction, easy to use, attractive in appearance and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a pillbox incorporated into a bracelet or similar structure in which the container may be swung outwardly about a single pivot point to reveal the contents of the container and make them readily accessible.

Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a pillbox assembly in accordance with the preceding objects having a pivotal closure for the container thus also enabling ready access to the contents thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view with the receptable in open condition;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the pillbox illustrated in FIGURES 1-4 incorporated into a wristband or bracelet;

FIGURE 6 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the manner in which the receptacle or pillbox is mounted on the wristband;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a wristwatch having the pillbox of the present invention incorporated therein;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the construction of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 9-9 of FIG- URE 7 illustrating the manner of supporting the piilbox from the hinge pintle for the watch;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of another form of the invention;

FIGURE 11 is a side elevational view of the construction of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 12-12 of FIGURE 10 illustrating the hinge construction for the lids;

FIGURE 13 is a transverse, sectional view taken sub stantially upon a plane passing along section line l313 of FIGURE 19 illustrating further structural details of the invention.

Referring now specifically to FIGURES l6, the numeral Ill generally designates the pillbox of the present invention which includes a bottom wall 12 and a top wall 14 each of which is generally circular in configuration and provided with diametrically opposed outwardly extending portions In. interconnecting the outwardly extending portions 16 is a pair of sleeves or spacers 18 extending between the bottom wall 12 and the top wall 14 and receiving a fastener such as a rivet 2t therethrough whereby the rivet 2t will securely retain the top and bottom walls or plates in spaced parallel relation.

Disposed between the top and bottom plates is a receptacle generally designated by the numeral 22 which includes a peripheral channel shaped wall 24 having inturned edge flanges 26 together with a circular or cylindrical container or receptacle 23 having an upwardly extending peripheral flange 3d having recesses therein receiving the flanges as whereby the interior of the peripheral wall 24 con-fines and receives the flange 30 thus providing a container which is closed when disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall and open when swung outwardly therefrom, by virtue of having the peripheral wall 24 at one edge thereof being integral with the spacer I8 which actually forms a pivot bearing for the receptacle 22 so that it may swing from a position concealed between the bottom wall 12 and top wall 14 and a position revealed as illustrated in Figure 2 so that pills 32 or the like may be easily obtained from the receptacle. A portion of the peripheral wall 24 is provided with a knob-like handle 34 thereon for manipulation of the receptacle 22. In this construction, the receptacle 22 may be glass or plastic lined for protecting the articles such as pills therein and this form of the invention as disclosed in FIGURES 14 may well be taken in a pocketbook or in a pocket or the like since it will be maintained in a closed condition.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate the same construction of the pillbox illustrating it attached to a wristband 36 of any suitable construction such as a wristband constructed of fiat leaf material having inturned spaced end portions 38. In this form of the invention, the securing rivets 2% extend through the wristband 36 for mounting the pillbox Ill in position on the wristband. An aperture it? is provided in the wristband 36 below the receptacle or pillbox thereby allowing circulation of air and preventing a relatively small area of contact with an arm. In both instances, the receptacle 2.2 or tray-like structure is pivoted outwardly to a revealed position by merely overcoming the friction between the plates 12 and It and the top and bottom surfaces of the container which may be overcome by engaging the knob 34.

In that form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 79, the combined pillbox and wristwatch is generally designated by the numeral 2 2 and includes a conventional wristwatch structure 44 having the usual wristband or straps an attached thereto by virtue of outwardly extending lugs 48 on each side thereof receiving a hinge pin or pintle 51} which normally extends through a loop 52 on the strap 46. In this form of the invention, the pillbox is generally designated by numeral 54 and includes a top wall 56, a bottom wall 58 and a swingable central receptacle as received therebetween. The top wall 56 is provided with a pair of L-shaped brackets 62 attached to each side of the top surface thereof and each of the L-shaped brackets 62 terminates in a loop 64 received around the hinge pintle 50 at the outer ends of the strap loop 52. The other end of the L-shaped bracket 62 is secured to the top wall 56 as by welding, soldering or the like as designated by numeral 66 thus supporting the pillbox 54 directly under the wristwatch in concealed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The construction of the swingable receptacle 6G is the same in FIGURES 7-9 as in FIGURES 1-6 and operates in the same manner in that the receptacle 6G swings out about a hinge pin formed by one of the rivets to provide ready access to the articles disposed within the receptacle.

FIGURES 10-13 illustrate another modified form of the invention designated generally by the reference numeral 7t) and in this form of the invention, the pillbox '72 is mounted on a wristband 74 such as a resilient metallic flat leaf spring type which is split and will resiliently grip the wrist for retention in the desired orientation.

The pillboX '72 includes a peripheral wall 76 having an inturned bottom fiange 78 attached to the wristband 74 by rivets 30. The peripheral wall 76 is also provided with an inwardly extending peripheral flange 82 at the upper edge thereof for retaining a liner or bottom member 84 therein by virtue of engagement with the upper edge of a peripheral wall 86. A closure plate 88 is provided for the receptacle and rests against the top edge of the flange 82 and the upstanding flange es and may conveniently be plastic, glass or the like which is also the material from which the bottom 84 and flange 36 is constructed. A top member 9:) overlies the closure member 88 and the members 88 and 99 are pivotal about a hinge pin 92 supported from the peripheral wall 76 by suitable brackets and the pivotal support is in the nature of a usual hinge type connection in which the top member 90 and the closure member 88 are independently swingable about the axis of the hinge pin 92. Each of the members 88 and 90 is provided with a radial projection 94 in opposition to the hinge pin 92 for engagement with lugs 96 on a spring latch 98 whereby the closure member 88 and top member 9 will be resiliently retained in closed position but capable of ready opening in the event manual pressure is exerted thereon.

The present invention is quite useful for persons suffering from diabetes, anemia and various coronary complications. The pillbox is substantially concealed at least to the extent that it is not conspicuous and may be employed in combination with or in lieu of a wristwatch. The particular manner of attaching the pillbox or receptacle to the bracelet, wristband or the like may be varied depending upon the particular construction of the wristband and the pillbox may be a separate element in itself which can be carried in a pocketbook or used as a charm on a bracelet. The pillbox itself may be of different sizes, shapes and configurations with the interior lining thereof being preferably glass for ease of maintaining in a clean condition and also preventing deterioration of the pills which quite often occurs in metal which causes the pills to loose potency. The various material from which the device is constructed may be varied in relation to the bracelet to which it is to be attached or connected.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a wristwatch including a housing having a wrist-engaging strap means thereon, a pillbox underlying the wristwatch and including a top wall fixedly connected to the wristwatch housing, a bottom wall spaced from the top wall and rigidly connected thereto, a swingable drawer-like receptacle disposed between the top and bottom walls for lateral swinging movement out of the area under the wristwatch for access to the interior thereof.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said wrist-engaging means is connected to the wristwatch housing with pintles, said means on the top wall including offset loop members engaging the pintles thus securing the top wall to the pintles.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said drawer-like receptacle is provided with a knob on one side thereof, said knob being located diametrically opposite to the windup knob on the wristwatch when the receptacle is in closed position whereby access to both knobs may be had.

4. In combination a housing adapted to be worn in overlying relation to a wrist, a wrist encircling band, pintles interconnecting the band and opposite side portions of the housing, a pillbox disposed in underlying relation to the housing and substantially in parallel relation thereto for positioning between the housing and the wrist, offset loop means on said pillbox detachably engaging the pintles for enabling removal of the pillbox to gain access to the undersurface of said housing, said pillbox including a top wall, a bottom wall, means rigidly interconnecting the top and bottom walls and spacing the top and bottom walls from each other, said means including rivets, a drawer movable between a position disposed between the top and bottom walls to a position laterally thereof for enabling access to the interior of the tray, one side of said tray being hingedly attached to one of said rivets for movement about the center of the rivets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 395,515 Robertson Apr. 1, 1889 2,045,013 I-Iowland June 23, 1936 2,903,172 Carter Sept. 8, 1959 2,904,237 Wasyluk Sept. 15, 1959 3,004,655 Whitnack Oct. 17, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,123 Great Britain of 1907 775,819 France Oct. 15, 1934 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A WRISTWATCH INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING A WRIST-ENGAGING STRAP MEANS THEREON, A PILLBOX UNDERLYING THE WRISTWATCH AND INCLUDING A TOP WALL FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE WRISTWATCH HOUSING, A BOTTOM WALL SPACED FROM THE TOP WALL AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED THERETO, A SWINGABLE DRAWER-LIKE RECEPTACLE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS FOR LATERAL SWINGING MOVEMENT OUT OF THE AREA UNDER THE WRISTWATCH FOR ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF. 